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Nick's closers and saves fantasy baseball waiver wire pickups and bullpen report for Week 4 (2025). His relief pitcher updates, and closers to add for saves.
The calendar keeps on flipping as we learn more and more about how managers are deploying their respective bullpens. Some stars are struggling while others, whom you likely distrust due to past performance, are emerging.
This section of the season can lead us to overestimate our knowledge of how things will play out, but we cannot idly sit back while others mine the waiver wire for gold. There were many last year who swore Kyle Finnegan would lose the job to Hunter Harvey, and others who missed out on Kirby Yates and Jason Foley.
Let's dive into this week's report! As always, stay tapped in with our Fantasy Baseball Closer Depth Charts for saves, holds, and bullpens. They will be updated frequently throughout the 2025 baseball season as news breaks.
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Waiver Wire Pickups For Standard Leagues
Luke Jackson, Texas Rangers (Rostered in 60% of leagues)
Very quickly, Jackson is the clear closer in Texas. Further solidifying his role is the news that Chris Martin has hip and back tightness often, which led to a trainer’s visit and Bruce Bochy turning elsewhere for the eighth inning on Tuesday.
Those hedging Jackson can eye Jacob Webb as the right-hander next to Robert Garcia and Hoby Milner being the high-leverage southpaws. Garcia snagged Friday’s save with a perfect ninth as the team avoided using Jackson for a third straight day.
A.J. Puk, Arizona Diamondbacks (Rostered in 52% of leagues)
And though Puk hasn’t looked quite as dominating as we’re used to, he still holds a 12:2 K:BB with four saves and two holds over eight innings. The only runs allowed have been on two solo home runs, both of which came at Yankee Stadium.
One was Anthony Volpe’s .060 xBA shot that was only gone in two parks. (Ben Rice deserved his.) Justin Martinez is incredible, but each piece of this tandem should be heavily rostered.
Tommy Kahnle, Detroit Tigers (Rostered in 19% of leagues)
Kahnle needed just 14 pitches to get the final six outs on Thursday, thanks to several groundouts on that devastating changeup. It was his third save of the season, giving him the only "traditional" saves for Detroit (Brant Hurter has a pair of three-inning finishes). Update: Kahnle got Save No. 4 on Friday.
Tommy Kahnle just casually diffused a bomb that Brieske left behind in just five pitches
— Nick Spillane (@NeekSpills8) April 18, 2025
Plus, Jason Foley had been looking sharp at Triple-A but was just placed on the 7-day IL with a right shoulder strain. We won’t be surprised to see Will Vest and Tyler Holton pick up some saves, but Kahnle looks like the chair of Detroit’s closing committee, at the very least.
Fun facts: Out of 193 RPs with >100 IP going back to 2022, Kahnle’s 2.41 ERA ranks 13th. The 55.9 percent GB% ranks 17th. And his .177 AVG against is ninth.
Luke Weaver, New York Yankees (Rostered in 25% of leagues)
Weaver struck out two in a 1-2-3 ninth for his second save of the season on Friday. After some early control warning signals, he's kept runners off the bases in his last two appearances. Now, Devin Williams' last two games have also been perfect, so let's not get carried away.
However, rostering pitchers like Weaver or even Fernando Cruz, who notched a two-inning save on Wednesday and owns an 18:3 K:BB in 10 2/3 IP, should benefit fantasy teams that deploy some non-closer RPs to help with their ratios or the K/9 in inning-capped formats.
Emilio Pagan, Cincinnati Reds (Rostered in 38% of leagues)
Everyone had this idea that Pagan’s role was temporary, while Alexis Diaz found his form on rehab assignment following his spring hamstring injury. However, Diaz posted a gaudy 2.00 WHIP thanks in part to four walks across five Triple-A innings. This echoed the five walks seen in 3 ⅓ IP this spring.
And guess what? His return to the bigs on Tuesday saw him walk two, throwing just 14-of-26 pitches for strikes, in the sixth inning. He worked around multiple baserunners again on Thursday in the seventh.
It may be a long road back to the ninth, and Pagan’s 2.89 ERA/0.54 WHIP (some skill, plenty of luck) has bought valuable trust (yes, he blew Thursday's game but one bad game neither erases the prior games nor does it make Diaz's poor command suddenly good). To Diaz's credit, he needed just 15 pitches for a perfect ninth to finish an 8-3 win on Friday.
But even as Pagan regresses, who is to say 2025 Alexis Diaz is better? Plus, maybe Graham Ashcraft is next anyway. Embrace the chaos.
Some notes from Terry Francona
-They may have to manage playing McLain/Hays absolutely every day over the next week, but no limitations on how they play.
-Diaz isn’t the set closer. It’s fair for him and the team (he’s pleased with Pagan) to pitch Diaz “when it makes sense.”
— Charlie Goldsmith (@CharlieG__) April 15, 2025
Waiver Wire Pickups For Deeper Leagues
Dennis Santana, Pittsburgh Pirates (Rostered in 18% of leagues)
David Bednar, Pittsburgh Pirates (Rostered in 35% of leagues)
The Pirates are treading water with Dennis Santana, who has a 5.02 SIERA and lowly 5:3 K:BB in 9 IP. David Bednar has thrown five clean innings at Triple-A since the demotion, striking out seven with zero walks and just one hit allowed. We’re not certain of what they want to see before recalling him, but a commanding Bednar is far and away their best option.
Otherwise, Justin Lawrence could creep into the circle of trust. He owns a 1.04 ERA (1.98 FIP) with a 12:4 K:BB, two holds, and a win through eight appearances (8 ⅔ IP). The 30-year-old also has that “closer experience” tag from Colorado, even if it wasn’t sublime form.
Justin Slaten, Boston Red Sox (Rostered in 10% of leagues)
With Aroldis Chapman pitching in three of the last four days, the 27-year-old right-hander struck out two during a 1-2-3 frame for his second save of the year on Wednesday. Chapman has four saves and a 40 percent K% going for him, but don’t read much into Slaten’s 5.14 ERA.
Outside of one wayward March 31 appearance, Slaten has allowed one baserunner over seven innings of work. His rostered rate sunk with nearly three weeks between saves, though he should not be forgotten!
Seth Halvorsen, Colorado Rockies (Rostered in 12% of leagues)
Victor Vodnik, Colorado Rockies (Rostered in 0% of leagues)
Jake Bird, Colorado Rockies (Rostered in 0% of leagues)
No one is safe here, but we understand deep-league beggars can’t be choosers. Jake Bird had a solid start, but the walk problem seen last year (13.5 percent) has kicked up over the last week.
Bud Black surely wants someone to wrest control of the bullpen. Halvorsen has an ugly 6:6 K:BB, but the early 70 percent groundball rate and high velocity paint him as the most likely long-term play. Vodnik only had a 20.3 percent K% last year, and his early 16.7 percent rate shows little signs of that changing. If you’re tangling with Coors, then you need Ks to buoy the ratio turbulence.
Jordan Leasure, Chicago White Sox (Rostered in 0% of leagues)
Those who laugh in the face of danger and don’t get a buzz flirting with Coors can hope that Leasure has finally found MLB-caliber command. The ChiSox designated Mike Clevinger for assignment on Wednesday afternoon and now have Leasure atop the pecking order.
Cam Booser is the high-leverage southpaw while Bryse Wilson, Penn Murfee, and Tyler Gilbert (L) work the setup innings. Do you hate your ratios this much?
Abner Uribe, Milwaukee Brewers (Rostered in 4% of leagues)
Uribe looks like the best hedge for those worrying about Trevor Megill’s knee after that April 12 implosion, which led to an MRI. He and the team didn’t seem worried, but a report about them seeking a second opinion caused a stir.
No excuses from Trevor Megill the morning after his erratic outing in last night's loss. Yes, he is getting a second opinion on the MRI of his knee. But the first opinion was that there's nothing alarming.
“I just couldn’t find the zone last night. That’s it," Megill said.
— Adam McCalvy (@AdamMcCalvy) April 13, 2025
While Megill looked good on Wednesday in his first action since the scare, he only threw seven pitches. He threw five more on Friday to snag a two-out save. Meanwhile, Uribe has an 11:3 K:BB and a 71 percent groundball rate through 9 ⅔ IP, collecting six holds in the early going. He’s rebuilt loads of trust after last year’s suspension, and if Milwaukee won’t call up Craig Yoho, then this is the angle.
Short Relief: More Bullpen Notes
Los Angeles Dodgers
Tanner Scott is indeed bearing the “brunt” of the save opportunities, logging seven in the early going. Blake Treinen has a pair and Alex Vesia has one from the Tokyo series as well. While Kirby Yates has pitched incredibly well with 20 strikeouts in just 10 ⅓ IP, he’s entering earlier than the ninth.
For those who missed the boat there but still want FrankenAce exposure to the LAD ‘pen, look at Jack Dreyer. The 26-year-old lefty has two wins with 16 Ks in 12 innings of one-run ball. This is no fluke, as he posted a 2.20 ERA/0.99 WHIP with a 31.7 percent K% in the minors last year. Enjoy the seemingly never-ending power of the Dodger organization!
Just how good has LHP Jack Dreyer been?
He’s given up 0 hits on his fastball that he’s thrown 44% of the time. He throws a slider with a 41% whiff rate.
Collectively he just has a .079 batting average against. 16 strike outs over 12 innings & an 0.75 ERA early on. pic.twitter.com/O91KhmvHpt
— Klein25 (@Klein25) April 16, 2025
San Diego Padres
Robert Suarez looks amazing, and the spring panic remains a relic of the past.Jason Adam and Jeremiah Estrada are performing well, as advertised. But you may not realize just how well Yuki Matsui is doing in his second MLB season.
The 29-year-old has a 50 percent strikeout rate thus far, which yields a 14:2 K:BB through 7 IP. Mason Miller is the only other reliever (min. 5 IP) with a 50 percent K%. Good company, eh?
Philadelphia Phillies
Jordan Romano’s low-leverage demotion seems to have been short-lived, as he’s shown up with his old velocity and mechanics later than Orion Kerkering over the last week. Of course, don’t go thinking we’ve got a set ladder around these parts.
Manager Rob Thomson used Alvarado in the eighth on Tuesday with the top of the Giants’ order due up. This left Matt Strahm to collect a 1-2-3 ninth for his first save of the season.
This is a fluid setup, and all four relievers bring value. Alvarado remains the top dog, with Strahm’s K/9 and ratio form best for FrankenAce builders, though he still likely trails Romano when it comes to save opportunities when 2025’s dust settles.
Kerkering took the eighth on Thursday before Alvarado notched save No. 4, but not before Tyler Fitzgerald tagged him for a solo home run. Alvarado has now yielded a run in his last two games (three of his last six), though the velocity is still healthy.
Chicago Cubs
Ryan Pressly is rallying after a frightful start to his Cubs tenure that included four runs (three earned) on 11 hits and six walks with only two strikeouts over 7 IP. He notched three saves in there, though the tightrope act was scary.
After four days off, Pressly has thrown two consecutive perfect innings (against the Dodgers and Padres, no cheapies) as he rights the ship. Still, Porter Hodge’s 12:3 K:BB (9 IP) and 2.00 ERA (1.36 FIP) should not be discarded.
Porter Hodge continues to be incredible for the #Cubs, picking right up where he left off last season.
- 100th percentile in HardHit%
- Yet to give up a bb over 100mph
- 0 barrels on 21 bbs (3 in 92 last year)
- 33.3 K% to 8.3 BB %A real sleeper to make the team USA pen 🔜… pic.twitter.com/5PBRF8tk7K
— Northside Soundtrack (@CHC_DataDrive) April 17, 2025
Miami Marlins
Calvin Faucher scooped a perfect save on Saturday, with Anthony Bender having pitched on two of the previous three days. Bender started well but has allowed multiple baserunners in back-to-back outings and has more walks (four) than strikeouts (three) over 7 ⅓ IP.
Faucher’s 6:4 K:BB across 6 ⅓ IP isn’t lighting the world on fire either, though he had preseason buzz and now has consecutive perfect appearances.
Los Angeles Angels
With Ben Joyce hitting the 15-day IL, Ryan Zeferjahn and Ryan Johnson look like the arms to toss on your watch list. Kenley Jansen has had a prolific career, but is 37 years old and has a history of back tightness. The heart issue won’t be a problem until very late, as the Halos travel to Coors for a three-game series on September 19-21.
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